Burial of a Great Pet
by SamCyberCat
Summary: They were gathered to witness the burial of a great pet. Or at least Fubuki and Ryo were, Ran wasn't nearly as into it as them. Ryo/Fubuki and one-sided Ryo/Ran.


Notes - For the gx_100. Set pre-GX, when Fubuki and Ryo were children. Presumes that the two of them and Ran knew each other prior to the academia.

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"We are gathered here today to honour the life of a great man," the boy began, in a voice that heavily implied he'd practised this speech earlier but had only read it through once and was beginning to regret that fact now.

Ran sighed impatiently and tried to straighten out a crease in her skirt to distract herself. If it had not been that Ryo was going she wouldn't have bothered at all, she didn't owe this kid any favours. But she'd do anything to get Ryo's attention.

Including stand out in a place like this.

A 'black suit occasion' he'd said, hah! The young girl of eight had spent the whole of yesterday afternoon looking for some garment in her wardrobe that wasn't pink, and had eventually found something so plain that she'd be dead if any of her friends caught her wearing it. But she'd wear it for Ryo.

And they'd paid her back by dragging her out to the middle of nowhere. This place that was practically a dried up bog with some trees and bushes surrounding it, all so she could watch a cardboard box be placed in a hole in the ground.

They both looked so serious about it. Her beloved Ryo and his stupid friend Fubuki. They stood over the box with their heads bowed, as Fubuki stated how much his pet had meant to him. It was a hamster! You could buy another one and still have some pocket money left over afterwards.

She voiced her opinion openly after the 'ceremony' had finished and the young Ryo was shoving earth over the hole with his hands. He was wearing the dojo uniform of his, such a shame he had to get a cute outfit dirtied on Fubuki's behalf as far as Ran was concerned.

"He was not just a hamster!" Fubuki shot, in the defensive tone a child took when his pet was questioned, "He was… um, a really good hamster!"

Ran rolled her eyes. She'd seen older girls roll their eyes before and thought it looked cool.

"He's right you know," said Ryo, pulling himself onto his knees from where he had bent over the hole. _His_ opinion she'd listen to. "Rai had some real potential to be a really bright hamster. He could do tricks if you offered him the little biscuits from the food mix."

"And he had a really nice coat too," Fubuki added, "He used to sit still and let me stroke him with a comb. How many hamsters do you know that can do that?"

"I get it, your rodent was really great and you'll miss him," Ran said dismissively, "But why does that mean me and Ryo have to be here?"

"You came because you followed Ryo," said Fubuki darkly, and the two rivals glared at each other until Ryo cut in to answer Ran's question.

"He was special to me too, I was there when Fubuki bought him," said Ryo, thinking this was a reasonable answer.

Nodding as if he'd suddenly been reminded of a distant, fond memory Fubuki chimed, "Dad said that's because you pretty much live in our house. But mum doesn't mind, she says you're more polite than I am." He grinned as if this didn't bother him in the slightest.

"You could come to my house whenever you want Ryo!" said Ran quickly; just to be sure that option was available.

"Maybe some other time," Ryo assured, too respectful to reject her flatly.

Getting back onto the point, Fubuki continued, "After we bought him we both decided on the name Rai and we looked after him together. One time I took Rai over to Ryo's house and his mum screamed."

"She thought he was a rat," agreed Ryo, starting to laugh, "I hope the noise didn't scare him too much."

"No, no, I practised playing my uku-ukulelele to him lots of times so he's used to that," assured Fubuki. Some day soon he'd learn how to pronounce the word 'ukulele' too.

The two of them went of reciting the history of this hamster to each other and Ran soon wished she hadn't asked. She was bored now, and not even Ryo was worth hanging around here for.

"Look, I'm going to go home now," she said, already retreating up the bank, "I'll see you in school tomorrow Ryo. Oh, and you too." She added Fubuki as an afterthought.

They waved to her cheerfully, watching her retreat rather quicker than she usually did. After that they stood in silence, watching the mound that they'd put Rai the hamster into.

"So… you're going away soon," said Fubuki eventually.

"Yeah."

"It's sort of a good thing, not that he died, but that it happened before you left. I would have hated to have told you when you got back."

"Yeah."

Another pause, then, "Do you think we'll ever find another pet as good as him?"

"No." Ryo turned away as the sun was starting to set, "My family don't do pets anyway. But I really wouldn't want another one even if we were allowed pets after him."

"There's no way he can be replaced," agreed Fubuki firmly, "But it's a shame… when you're not here and Rai's not here, I'll have to find something to do to fill the huge space of time."

"Maybe you could do what I'm doing," said Ryo.

"What, go up some cold mountain?"

"No, I mean play Duel Monsters," said Ryo, taking out some cards from his pocket for Fubuki to look at. They were dragons and related spells of all assorts.

After some consideration, Fubuki said, "Yeah, I think I will do that."

He took Ryo's hand and the two of them walked away from the resting site of their first and last pet.


End file.
